Orwell Youth Prize Winners: Work experience as a young campaigner

WORK EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG CAMPAIGNER

“A poem that will resonate with many campaigners young and old, touching on both the inspiration and drudgery of working to make the world a better place. The poet has started small but is on the path to big things” – Adam Cantwell-Corn

Our mission is
the gurgling grind of a working printer
surrounding itself in scents of red ink,
and spitting leaflet after leaflet into the pile
in the hope that their lifespans will be longer than
seconds between door and the bin.

Our mission is
breaking up boxes
of figureheads in cut-outs.
Then breaking the numbers down too,
reading addresses in your head
as maps come into view.
Repeat the tasks again and again,
being useful with the envelope machine.

Starting small is
walking through frost-covered afternoons,
knuckles turning purple as they rap on unforgiving doors –
Straightening your badge again
and carrying on.

Starting small is
choosing not to “Beware Of The Dog”,
because there isn’t one.
Only bright blue flags taped to windows
can cause problems for us.

Starting small
Is learning
The correct method of pushing a leaflet through a letterbox –
“Like that, see?”
Just in case.

Starting small is saying:
Excuse me sir, but may I ask-
as the flat’s old chipped door is slammed in your face,
blocking out the light again,
soundtracked by the muttering of dismayed apathy.

Starting small is
Feeling the reassuring warmth of an occasional ally
and learning how they talk
before tripping down echoing steps,
holding their names tight to your chest
in hastily scrawled clipboard code.

Starting small
Is being invited in,
inviting them to talk – honestly,
and realising how hard it is to convince them that
this is their town too.

Starting small is
showing to them that
every back alley sewer and public park dustbin
is part of a community bigger than just Europe.

Starting small is
knowing that you are closer than the statistics now,
as the car takes you down the streets again
which beg you not to forget them,
as snow starts to cover the rooftops.

Starting small is
meetings. But not the business kind.
Here we sit in tiny offices where
the cold wind vents through windows,
telling us stories of struggle and loss
and planning permission for the drone-flying club.

Starting small is trying to be something.
To mean something.
To change something.
To help someone.
Starting small is
trying
trying
trying.

Read more about the Orwell Youth Prize here

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